Category: United States Attorneys General

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Hazleton Man Charged With Receiving Child Pornography

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Michael Portanova, age 27, of Hazleton, was indicted on January 23, 2018, by a federal grand jury for receiving child pornography. The case was unsealed following Portanova’s initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Portanova committed the offense between August 2017 and October 30, 2017, in Luzerne County. The indictment also alleges that Portanova used a computer and cell phone to commit the crime.

The indictment further alleges that Portanova committed the offense after having been convicted of dissemination and possession of child pornography in Luzerne County in 2014.  

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 40 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. There is also a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: United States Withdraws Appeal Of Medical Malpractice Judgment

Harrisburg – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that it withdrew an appeal of an April 20, 2017 district court decision that included findings of fact and conclusions of law, and its verdict and judgment on May 9, 2017. 

In this FTCA medical malpractice action, the district court entered a verdict in favor of Plaintiffs Christina Late and Nathan Armolt, individually, and as parents and natural guardians of D.A., a minor.  The court awarded plaintiffs $103,967.10 in past medical expenses; $5,000,000 in past and future noneconomic damages; and $3,553,616 in lost earnings and fringe benefits.  The court also awarded plaintiffs future medical expenses at a present value of $9,309,503.90 and at a future value of $32,984,383.50.  

The future value payment of $32,984,383.50 will be provided to the Clerk’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  The Clerk will deposit the money in an interest bearing account.  The Clerk will then make yearly payments to the Plaintiffs per the Court’s schedule for the next 74 years.  All interest earned in the account will be returned to the United States at the end of the 74 years or when the minor dies, whichever occurs first.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the United States often files protective notice of appeal, while the Solicitor General’s Office determines whether an appeal should be continued.  In this case, the Solicitor General’s Office determined that an appeal should not proceed.  Because of attorney-work product and deliberative-process considerations, no further information can be provided about this decision. 

“The United States Attorney’s Offices throughout the country are tasked with defending government employees accused of medical malpractice, and there are times when district courts will find our employees negligent,” said U.S. Attorney Freed.  “Our mission, however, is to defend the government’s employees and to limit damages with the assistance of medical and economic experts.  We respect the court’s decision in this matter, and wish nothing but the best for the minor child and his parents.”

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Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Heroin Conspiracy

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Lamont Butcher, age 42, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt of the New York Division.

Butcher pled guilty on September 21, 2017, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin in connection with his involvement in a heroin trafficking organization operating in Philadelphia and Oswego, New York.  Butcher admitted in his plea to selling heroin to Samuel Alexander, Jr., whom he knew was further distributing the heroin in Oswego, New York, in an amount exceeding 1 kilogram.  Alexander, of Brewerton, New York, was previously sentenced to 63 months for his role in the conspiracy.

Butcher was also sentenced to serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison and pay a forfeiture money judgement in the amount of $3,900.

This case was investigated by the DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Oswego County Drug Task Force, comprised of Special Agents of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI),  members of the City of Oswego Police Department, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, Investigators from the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, the SUNY Oswego Police Department and Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carla Freedman and Geoffrey J.L. Brown.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Seven Arrested On Marijuana Trafficking Charges

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Seven upstate men were arrested today on federal drug conspiracy charges alleging that they arranged to transport, store, and distribute hundreds of pounds of marijuana between Franklin County in Northern New York and Onondaga and Oswego Counties, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Oswego County District Attorney Gregory S. Oakes, and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-Buffalo Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly.

All seven defendants appeared today in United States District Court for the Northern District of New York in Syracuse. They are charged in two criminal complaints.

Charged in a criminal complaint alleging a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one hundred kilograms (approximately 220 pounds) or more of marijuana in Onondaga County from January 2017, through November 2017 are:

William Sullivan, 38, of Jamesville, New York

Jamie Phillips, 35, of Syracuse, New York

Alexander Elliott, a/k/a Alexander Camacho, 46, of Syracuse, New York

Alexander Steeprock, 21, of Syracuse, New York

Chadwick Swamp, 48, of Hogansburg, New York

Winston Francis, 26, of Hogansburg, New York

The complaint also charges Jamie Phillips with possessing a firearm after a previous conviction for a felony offense.

The drug conspiracy charge carries a minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of up to 40 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5 million and period of supervised release of at least four years and up to life. The charge of possessing a firearm after previously having been convicted of a felony offense against Jamie Phillips carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.

Jason Altpeter, 35, of Fulton, New York, is charged in a separate criminal complaint alleging a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fifty kilograms (approximately 110 pounds) or more of marijuana in Oswego County from July 2017, through November 2017. This charge carries carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to one million dollars and period of supervised release of at least three years and up to life.

A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The charges in the complaints are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This investigation was initiated by the Oswego County Drug Task Force, comprised of Special Agents of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), members of the City of Oswego Police Department, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, Investigators from the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, the SUNY Oswego Police Department, and Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol.  Additional agencies involved in the investigation include the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the City of Syracuse Police Department, the New York State Police-CNET Central, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department (USA), the Akwasasne Mohawk Police Service (Canada), and the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla Freedman and Robert Levine, in coordination with the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Six Sentenced in Connection with Organized Criminal Ring Profiting from Prostitution Enterprise

         Six people have now been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Seattle for their roles in an organized crime ring involved with prostitution, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. The leader of the ring, FANG WANG, 29, of Queens, New York, was sentenced last month to 30 months in prison.   At her sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly said the “nature of the offense is very troubling to the court.”

          YONGGUANG WU, 28, of Seattle and STEVEN THOMPSON, 59, of Renton, Washington, were each sentenced to 8 months in prison.  YUNZHONG CHEN, 45, and YAOAN HE, 33, of Seattle, were each sentenced to one year in prison. ZHAOFENG ZHANG, 23, of Seattle, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison.  ZHANG continued to post advertisements, rent apartments, and connect customers with ringleader WANG even after being contacted by law enforcement.

           According to records in the case, federal and local law enforcement partners worked jointly to investigate a criminal ring making hundreds of thousands of dollars through the prostitution of Asian sex workers. In partnership with the FBI, the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), and police departments in Bellevue, Redmond, Renton, Seattle, and Tukwila identified numerous brothel locations through their analysis of Backpage.com, cell phone, and other business records. The joint team of local and federal investigators then conducted surveillance of the ring’s activities. Law enforcement determined that multiple locations were linked to the organization via ads placed with websites such as Backpage.com. The investigation revealed that the same internet protocol (IP) addresses were used for placing many of the ads, and phone numbers associated with the ads were linked as well – in some instances to call centers located in New York and Washington, D.C. In other cases, the law enforcement agencies followed up on citizen complaints about apartments being operated as prostitution locations and confirmed that the organization was in fact conducting prostitution in those locations.

                 The investigation revealed that FANG WANG – the apparent leader of the operation – spent approximately $100,000 to increase the traffic to her ads on the Backpage.com site. Other defendants played different roles – renting apartments, transporting sex workers to various locations, purchasing supplies, collecting money from the sex workers, and placing ads. Prostitution activities associated with the ring occurred in apartments or hotels located in Bellevue, Kent, Kirkland, Lynnwood, Olympia, Lacey, Puyallup, Renton, Tukwila, Seattle, and Federal Way. Other locations where the ring operated include eastern Washington cities such as Richland, Kennewick, Wenatchee, and Spokane. The sex workers were frequently moved throughout the area.

           The case was jointly investigated by the FBI, the Bellevue Police Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Redmond Police Department, the Renton Police Department, the Seattle Police Department, the Tukwila Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI).

           The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: New Orleans Man Charged in Heroin Conspiracy, Including Distributing Heroin which Caused the Death of a 33 Year Old Man

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JARON BIAS, age 25, of New Orleans, has been charged in a multiple count indictment which charges him in a heroin conspiracy for distributing heroin in the Black Pearl neighborhood in New Orleans and in Jefferson Parish.

According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating BIAS in August 2017 when the agency received information from an informant that BIAS was selling large quantities of heroin.  The government has charged BIAS with distributing a kilogram of heroin over the span of the conspiracy. The government also charged BIAS with distributing heroin that caused the death of a 33 year old man in 2015.  If convicted of this charge, BIAS faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany L. Reed is in charge of the prosecution.

 

 

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Charleston drug dealer sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for opioid and gun crimes

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for drug and gun crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. A jury previously found Charles York Walker, Jr., 39, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Walker also pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing heroin and one count of distributing fentanyl. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia Regional Jail Authority.

During the trial, witnesses testified that Walker was arrested in Charleston by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team on July 14, 2017. A search warrant was later executed at Walker’s apartment on Washington Street, West, and officers seized Walker’s cell phone and two handguns. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Walker’s cell phone and discovered photos linking Walker to one of the handguns. A witness testified that he saw Walker pistol whip an individual with a .38 revolver, which was the same type of gun as one of the firearms seized from Walker’s apartment. Walker was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 1997 federal drug conviction, a 1998 state conviction for wanton endangerment, and a 2010 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In addition to the firearms charged in the superseding indictment, Walker was also charged with three counts of distributing drugs. On the first day of trial, Walker pled guilty to the three drug counts, admitting that he sold drugs in Charleston on three separate occasions. He admitted to selling heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on April 14, 2016, on the railroad tracks close to Beuhring Avenue. He also admitted that he sold fentanyl to a confidential informant on June 23, 2016, in a drug deal that began at the KFC on Washington Street, West. Walker additionally admitted that on July 12, 2016, he sold heroin to a confidential informant at the apartment on Washington Street, West.

“Walker is justifiably headed to prison for a long time,” stated U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart. “If you sell illegal drugs or if you violate gun laws, I will do all I can to send you to prison for as long as we possibly can.”

Assistant United States Attorneys Steven I. Loew and Clint Carte are in charge of the prosecution and tried the case before a federal jury. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence and presided over the trial.

This prosecution was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking with existing local programs targeting gun crime. This case is also part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Kanawha County man sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for receiving child pornography

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in federal prison for a child pornography crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jeffrey Scott Beard, 37, of Clendenin, previously pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. Beard was also ordered to serve the remainder of his life on federal supervised release after completion of his prison term, and will additionally be required to register as a sex offender.

Beard admitted that he received images on his computer of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered that Beard was using a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download, receive, and distribute child pornography images and videos. FBI Special Agents executed a federal search warrant at Beard’s Clendenin residence in March 2017, and seized computers and other digital media storage devices containing child pornography. 

“This case should send a strong message that online child sexual exploitation investigations and prosecutions are a priority for this office,” stated U.S. Attorney Stuart. “Beard’s sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes and the need to deter others inclined to engage in similar activity. I greatly appreciate the excellent and hard work of the FBI, the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Parkersburg Police Department.”  

Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Pierre Woman Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Pierre, South Dakota, woman convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on January 22, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Adele Tahsequah, age 35, was sentenced to 21 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment of $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Tahsequah was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 6, 2017, for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.  Tahsequah pled guilty on November 3, 2017.

On June 21, 2017, Tahsequah received a package delivered to her residence in Pierre by the U.S. Postal Service that contained 27.87 grams of methamphetamine.  The package was addressed to Tahsequah, and Tahsequah indicated that she had been expecting it.  Tahsequah admitted that she knew the package contained methamphetamine, and that she was intending to further distribute it within South Dakota.  That same day, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tahsequah’s residence and located multiple scales and small plastic baggies within the residence.  Tahsequah admitted that the scales and baggies were utilized for the distribution of methamphetamine. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan prosecuted the case.

Tahsequah was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Sioux Falls Man Found Guilty of Methamphetamine Charges

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Orlando Dones-Vargas, a/k/a “Landy,” age 32, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine as a result of a federal jury trial in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  The jury returned the verdict on January 30, 2018.

The conspiracy charge, involving over 500 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in custody and/or a $10 million fine, mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  The possession with intent charge, involving more than 5 grams of pure methamphetamine, carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in custody and/or a $5 million fine, mandatory minimum of 4 years and a maximum of life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Dones-Vargas was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 6, 2017, and a Superseding Indictment was filed January 9, 2018. 

Dones-Vargas was arrested on August 20, 2017, for driving with a suspended license.  During the booking process at the Minnehaha County Jail, it was discovered that he was concealing more than 13 grams of methamphetamine (96% pure) in his groin area.  Further investigation revealed Dones-Vargas’ extensive involvement in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Sioux Falls area.

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for April 23, 2018.  The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.